Chapter 3

-doe-eyes-

@-doe-eyes-

Not even going to try to explain this one.

ArHi Drabble |Attention-Seeking-Syndrome|

"I think green and red would be lovely!" Khushi chirped eagerly, leaning almost off her chair as she showed Anjali the page of the bridal-wear catalogue she had been flipping through, "It's traditional and I think Jiji and Jeeju would look lovely in it!"

"If they were dressing up for Christmas, probably."

The glowing, exuberant grin slipped off Khushi's face like soap out of wet hands, her tiny frame going rigid.

Eyes flashing, an unhappy frown ingrained onto her mouth, she whipped sharply around to face the person who'd walked up behind her armchair.

"Look," she mutinously brandished the catalogue up at him, unthinkingly climbing over the armrest to all but shove the page into his face, "Look at that. Does that look Christmas-y to you?!"

Arnav ran a negligent, careless eye over the page, his expression one of profound disinterest.

And then, flicking his gaze to Khushi, he pronounced, "It's certainly shiny enough to pass off as a Christmas tree."

Khushi's mouth dropped open in shock and outrage, and she spluttered for a moment before she could speak coherently again.

"Well, I happen to think it's gorgeous."

Arnav's eyebrow quirked upward, and that smirk that never failed to infuriate her tugged at a corner of his mouth.

"I'm not surprised."

And with that comment, he turned smoothly on his heel and stalked off toward the stairs.

As though she had springs attached to her feet, Khushi bounded to her feet, angry stare spitting sparks, angry red painting her cheeks, angry pout curving her mouth, and hurried after him, demanding "What's that supposed to mean??!"

Watching them leave, Arnav cool and composed as he briskly took the stairs while Khushi stomped along beside him, squabbling energetically, Anjali ran a palm over her forehead and sighed in part exhaustion and part befuddlement.

"I just don't understand," she confessed, bemused and shaking her head a little as she bent to pick up the catalogue Khushi had left abandoned in her haste, "It's so obvious that he's smitten with her. And I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. So why does he keep provoking her like that?"

NK, who had been having his fun, quietly leaning back into his armchair and grinning as the scene unfolded, turned to his cousin with mock seriousness.

"He's got the Attention Seeking Syndrome, Di," he declared sagely. As Di looked at him quizzically, head tilted to one side, he elaborated, "He wanted her attention, and the only way he can think to do it is by being an A-S-S."

Comments, please? :)